The Arizona sentinel., 1887-09-24
CoNJURERS' MISHAPS.
Sleight-of-Hand Tricks That Proved E
 pensive to Their Performers.

Sleight-of- Hand Tricks That Proved Ex-
 pensive to Their Performers.
 Conjurers, despite the ''quickness of hand' they usually get credit for, make some awkward and most anus ing blunders. But they have this in their favor, that the audience seldom know of the mishap that has occurred.
 As is well known, a great many of the articles to be performed with are borrowed from the audience, such as watches, bank notes, rings. handker- chiefs. etc, and the owners of these articles should not be surprised if they receive them back in damaged condi- tion, when the treatment they are sub jected 10 is taken into consideration. They are supposed to be smashed, burned, or in some manner destroyed, and then mysteriously put to rights again; and, although sensible people know full well that the genuine article has not really been destroyed. but that a substitution has been adroitly effect ed, still the process of substitution is often attended with great risk to the articles operated upon-such as drop ping them quickly into the operators s pocket or into traps, or slipping them into an assistants hand.
 A cont performing recently in the south of Scotland asked for the loan of a watch. A gentleman lent him valuable gold chronometer A wonderful trick was performed with it, and the audience accorded the per former a heavy round of applause; but when the gentleman got his watch back note was slipped into his hand intimating that his watch had been damaged, but he would be compen- tainment The watch was indeed dam aged-it was irretrievable ruined, but the performer paid the owner its full price. Some performers have been most unfortunate in this way. We know one who had to pay the full price for damaged watches three times in as many years. and each time owing to the gross carelessness of his assistant.
 A few years ago young conjuror who has since acquired some celeb rity, gave his first public entertain ment, and was assisted behind the scenes by some kind friends. The loan of a bank note was requested, and one for twenty pounds was hand- ed to the performer. This he success fully substituted for a sham note, passing the genuine one, by means of a trap in his table, to his assistants behind. He then proceeded to burn the duplicate at the flame of a candle, all the while enjoying the discontinue of the lender, who apparently fully be lieved that his twenty pound note was being destroyed, and who was heard 10 remark: If I had known he was going to do that vitt it he shouldn't have gOt it." But the performers enjoyment at tho lenders anxiety was of short dura- tion, for when the act of restoration came about he discovered to his hor- TOT that his friends had as completely destroyed the genuine note as he had the sham one. An explanation was made to the lender, the audience knew nothing of the disaster, and before the conclusion of the entertainment the lender was compensated for his loss.
 Prof G., hailing from the North of Scotland, had acquired great dexterity in his manipulation of eggs. with which he performed a number of really clever illusions. In practicing these feats he generally used hard boiled eggs, but he very carelessly allowed several unboiled eggs to get mixed up with the boiled ones, so that after some time he could not tell the boiled from the unboiled. He was punished for his carelessness in a way he little dreamed of. He was engaged to per form at Christmas party held at the mansion of the Lord Provost of a Scotch city. His audience on that oc- casion was the most fashionable to which he had performed either before or since.
 His first experiment consisted in ex- tracting eggs from the flame of candle that stood upon his table. Three eggs were successfully produced. which he proceeded, as was his custom, to hand around to prove their genuine ness; but in handing one of them to gentleman to examine he allowed one of the others to fall, which, striking on the knee of lady, broke and be- smeared her dress.
 The egg having been long in the per formers possession was considerably stale" A disagreeable and sicken- ing odor speedily filled the apartment handkerchiefs and smelling bottles were brought into acquisition, the young lady had to retire and change her dress, which she never wore again, the other ladies also quilted the apart. ment and the entertainment was brought to an abrupt termination. London TEd- Bits.